Cricket

Cricket is the main summer sport offered at Penzance. On any given day you are bound to find a cricket match being played at Penzance if you walk past the school.

In the Junior Primary Phase, boys are encouraged to play Mini–Cricket. These boys play in tournaments on a Saturday morning. We also have a new initiative called ‘Dads & Lads’ whereby boys and their fathers participate in a morning of coaching with their fathers, which is overseen by the Penzance coaches. Once boys have honed their skills playing Mini–Cricket they are introduced to hard ball cricket in the Under 10 age group.

In the Senior phase we have 14 cricket teams. Each team has their own coach and boys have fixtures against our traditional rivals. We have the use of 3 fields – 1 at Penzance and 2 across the road at Dokkies. We have recently upgraded our cricket nets and also invested money into a new Bo-mag to ensure our cricket pitch is of a high standard.

We are lucky enough to have cricket coaches of the highest standard at Penzance. Our outside coaches are of a good experience with many of them playing cricket at a high level in Kwa-Zulu Natal. We have also opened up a Penzance Cricket Academy in an effort to take our cricket to the next level.

We look forward to cricket growing from strength to strength in the years to come

1^st Term Cricket Fixtures 2012

4^th Term Cricket Fixtures 2012

Rugby

Penzance rugby has grown in stature over the last few years. We have taken a more serious approach to our rugby and as a result are producing many boys who have made representative teams in the past.

In Grade 1, boys are re-introduced to the concept of rugby by playing a non – contact version of it. This non–contact version is called Tag Rugby. Once boys are more confident, they start playing contact rugby in Grade 2. Under 9 & 10 Rugby is played on half a rugby field with only 10 players and is called Mini–Rugby. Under 11 & 13 rugby is ‘proper’ rugby with a full field and 15 man teams.

We are fortunate at Penzance to have many experienced coaches and as a result our boys are taught the latest techniques and skills in rugby. We field 13 teams at a given fixture which makes for a busy day of fixtures and some good, hard rugby.

Below you will find the fixtures for 2012.

Penzance Rugby Fixtures 2012

19^th  March           Monday        Sterling Primary (1^st XV )   (H)

23 – 25^th March   Fri-Sun         Glenwood Festival (1^st XV)  ( A)

5^th April                Thursday       Kearsney Festival (1^st XV)   (A)

13^th April               Friday          Northlands Festival (1^st XV )   (A)

16^th April               Monday       Gateway (1^st XV)    (H)

21^st April               Saturday     Virginia      (A)

25^th April              Wednesday Chelsea    (A)

4^th May                  Friday          Clifton       (A)

9^th May                  Wednesday DPHS      (H/A)

12^th May                Saturday     Marist / Port Natal   (H)

23^rd May                Wednesday Northlands               (A)

26^th May                Saturday      Highbury                   (H)

2^nd June                Saturday      Cordwalles               (A)

9^th June                 Saturday      Westville                   (A)

Hockey

Hockey is the fastest growing sport at Penzance! Boys and girls from Grade 1 are offered the opportunity to learn the game. A number of our staff are hockey players and highly involved in KZN Hockey which makes them highly motivated to grow the sport at Penzance. Across the road from Penzance, we share an Astroturf with Durban Girls High School and Glenwood High School. This Astroturf has the latest technology in Astro management.

Our Grade 1 – 3 learners are all introduced to Mini–Hockey. This is a 6–a–side game on a small field. There is great excitement on a Friday night, during hockey season, as Penzance hosts a Night Series Mini–Hockey Tournament with a few of our neighbouring schools. All our Junior Primary players have the opportunity to participate in these tournaments held under floodlights!

Our Senior hockey players practice twice a week on our Astroturf. Great fun is had (even by those who do not take hockey seriously). We field 23 teams, both boys and girls, in our Senior Phase.

Below you will find fixtures for 2012.

Girls

Boys

Netball

Netball has always been one of the favourite sports amongst the girls at Penzance. Driven by Mrs Pyoos, netball has grown in leaps and bounds. We now find our girls playing in a new format of Action Netball in Term 1. This proves to be a good pre–season build–up before our traditional fixtures begin in Term 2. Action Netball is a much faster game and requires high levels of fitness.

Our Grade 1 – 3 girls are introduced to the basics of Netball in Term 1. In a Mini format they learn the skills to become good netball players. In Term 2 our Junior Primary girls begin playing games against other schools.

Netball has become so popular amongst our Senior Primary girls that we now have up to 13 teams. Due to the large amount of girls participating, we had to draw up two new Netball courts. In total we have four Netball courts for our girls. We hope that the popularity of Netball continues!

Below you will find Netball fixtures for Term 2.

Athletics

Athletics season is one of the most popular periods during the year. It takes place during the third term.

During school we have most of the heats and trials for every single Senior Primary learner. Once this has been completed we then have practices every afternoon in all facets of Athletics. We offer long distance running, sprints and relays. In the field events our learners have the opportunity to practice in long jump, high jump and shot putt. Our season culminates in the Senior Primary Athletics Day which this year will be held on Friday, 24^th August 2012. Our best athletes then represent the school at the Inter-School Champs which is traditionally held for our district at Port Natal.

Our Junior Primary learners participate in their Junior Primary Athletics Day on the 7^th September 2012. Every learner participates in different races. We also have a few novelty races to make it more enjoyable for both the youngsters and their supporters.

Chess

Chess has grown in leaps and bounds at Penzance Primary. It is driven by our Deputy Principal, Mrs Gill, who puts in many hours preparing the learners from Grade 1 to 7 for the tournaments that they enter. Mrs Gill also has people to assist her in the technical aspects of the game. We are very fortunate at Penzance in having a number of learners over the years who have gone on to represent Kwa-Zulu Natal for Chess. We look forward to another busy season of Chess with about 40 tournaments that we can enter.

Swimming

Swimming is a sport offered at Penzance in the summer months. We pride ourselves on our healthy position of being in the ‘A’ Sections for both boys and girls in the Inter–School Durban and Districts Galas.

Every learner at Penzance is taught to swim during their PE lessons. We have a wealth of experience in our swimming department and this makes the job of teaching our youngsters to swim much easier. We have two galas during the year. One is for the Senior Primary and the other the Junior Primary. The Senior Primary is an Inter–House Gala. Much fun is had and the competition is always stiff between the houses. The Junior Primary Gala is based on mass participation and enjoyment. Every single learner has the opportunity to swim on the night.

We also have a swimming club, Swim Sensations, which uses our facility. In doing this we are trying to build a strong culture of swimming at our school.

Penzance has produced many top swimmers, none more so than the South African champ, Chad le Clos. We wish him everything of the best at the London Olympics!

Softball

Softball is played during the third term of school. Penzance has the experience of a Kwa–Zulu Natal coach at the helm, Mrs Dixon.

With the drive of Mrs Dixon, Penzance usually enters 3 boys and 3 girls team into the local league. Matches are played on a Friday afternoon for boys and a Saturday morning for girls.

We always have had good representation in the Kwa-Zulu Natal teams for Softball. Last year Christopher Murphy and Brendan Brooks were selected for the South African All Stars Team at the end of the Inter-Provincial.

We are looking forward to another successful Softball season!

Tennis

Tennis is offered throughout the year at Penzance. Every learner, from Grade 1 to 7 has the opportunity to play tennis. Matches against local schools are played on a Monday. Mrs Budlender is a former tennis champion and she manages to get the best out of our players. She also has extra technical help to make sure our youngsters are taught the latest skills and techniques.